One step forward for mankind and two giant steps backwards for womankind.
This romanticized account of the life story of Xiao Yanyan, the accomplished Khitan Empress Chengtian (953-1009), gives voice to folk or unofficial history of her relationship with Han Derang. Wild history of their love affair survived over a thousand years and continues to fire the imagination of Chinese historians today.Please be aware of mild spoilers ahead (unless you already know the history).
It is known that Xiao Yanyan, was once engaged to Han Derang, who was from an elite Han Chinese family loyal to the Khitan rulers. According to the drama (which is based on a novel), her father chancellor Xiao Siwen and Han Derang help Mingyi (Emperor Jingzong) ascend the throne. Mingyi is sickly and his hold onto power is thus unstable; many branches of the royal family vie for the throne. Mingyi insists on marrying Yanyan so that like both his main rivals who married Yanyan's older sisters, his wife is also of royal bloodline. This kind of ill fated romance has limited appeal to most romance watchers and is an unnecessary digression for most historical or political drama buffs.
Although I was primarily interested in the history, Tang Yan and Dou Xiao's portrayal of the young lovebirds captured my heart and I was devastated by their forced separation. But alas their chemistry fizzles out later on in the drama and leaves me unconvinced that they are soul mates whose love is as deep or as epic as folk history suggests. At face, the bare facts are tantalizing - he shores up her regency over her young son Emperor Shengzong; is her trusted confidante and is highly ranked in her court; they may even have married and had a child together and; he was likely buried besides her. But in their more mature personas, both characters just seem sad, tired and lonely and not long lost soul mates who finally have their moment in the sun. It does not help that Tang Yan appears to have an easier, more natural chemistry with Jing Chao's Mingyi. To make matters worse, there are no nuances or subtleties in Yanyan's interactions with Mingyi and Derang that suggests they mean different things to her, that her relationship with and affection for each of them is not the same.
Mingyi is the most layered, complex and interesting character in this drama and probably one of the best grey characters I have seen this year. Although I resent his manipulation, his selfishness, his obscene sense of entitlement and his disingenuous excuses for doing terrible things, I also grudgingly empathized with him and the monumental task in front of him. Jing Chao really delivers one of the most convincing portrayals of a sociopath emperor who has the audacity to steal his best friend's fiancé and yet demands and expects them to protect his legacy. Unfortunately although she delivers a few good scenes, Tang Yan fails to evoke a strong and powerful empress who can rule alongside and then after the emperor. She cannot hold onto her strong moments, just defaults back to her comfort zone of a very beautiful and feminine woman that is to be rescued and protected. Her attempts at gravitas just results in a cold, aloof empress that doesn't allow any sparks to fly; even when she is free to be with the alleged love of her life. To be fair Tang Yan was pregnant during the shooting and that put limits on her ability to do the more physically challenging scenes but she still did not have to be written to be so mopey and passive aggressive.
The other magnificently and effortless acted role is Sheh Szeman's Xiao Hunian who is everything and more of what I imagined Yanyan would be. Her portrayal of a strong, yet feminine woman who bows to duty without wallowing in self pity; who is a fierce, strategic warrior that stands up to the menacing Yansage; who does as she pleases and shows her displeasure as effectively in words as in action puts Tang Yan's meek and insipid performance to shame. When Hunian tells Han Derang that it was just a twist of fate, else she would be just as great an empress, that resonates because art imitates life; a younger Sheh Szeman would have conveyed an unforgettable Xiao Yanyan. I did not approve of how the writing undermines Hunian in the final arc - even though Sheh Szeman got more airtime and had some awesome scenes, it was just not the right thing to do to the character.
While this drama as a whole does not live up to my expectations, I found many parts of it to be riveting. The power struggles and the battle for the throne are well written and shot but the story peaks at the Yansage arc. The battle footage and strategies used to route the enemy in this arc are bloodthirsty and exciting but is too early for the climax of the drama. To some extent that cannot be helped as it is the correct sequence historically. That said, after the Yansage arc, the focus of the story should shift from internal strife to external strife rather than focus on a series of much weaker, rather pathetic attempts at coups by the least interesting characters in the drama. It does little more than to drive home how hard it is for a widowed empress to hold on to the throne as regent without a strong military backer. It does highlight Han Derang's contributions and achievements as the unsung hero and the true power behind the Liao throne.
To me this is a 7.5/8.0 but I am going with 7.5 because I expected to watch a drama about a woman warrior who chose her country over her true love and then went on to make Liao great so that her sacrifice would be worth something. Instead, I may as well have watched her get her revenge on Mingyi by doing nothing besides get fat on sweet cakes and having flings with stable boys. But I learned many things about Liao/Khitan culture, including that Khitan women were very equal and progressive - they can get divorced, remarry if widowed, lead armies, hold positions and even rule in court. Which is really ironic because Mingyi's legacy Han reforms that were among Yanyan and Han Derang's greatest achievements basically Sinicized the nomadic Liao people to their vast benefit in terms of agriculture, language, culture and administrative and legal systems. But it also set Liao women back thousands of years in terms of the status and freedom. So what our warrior empress really achieved was one step forwards for mankind and two giant steps backwards for womankind. Maybe Tang Yan's portrayal wasn't that far off...
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1A Dark, Addictive, Masterpiece-Level Chinese BL
REVIEW UPDATEDI can’t believe I’m saying this, but this series might actually surpass Revenged Love as my number one BL of the year.
I love dark, toxic, and manipulative stories. It’s fictional, so I know it’s not real, but it’s thrilling, intense, and way more addictive than the typical “green flag” BL. This series nails it.
If you’re not watching, you’re seriously missing out. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
To My Shore is a perfect 10 for me. From the first episode, it grabs you with its atmosphere, intensity, and emotional tension. Yun Qi as Fan Xiao is only twenty-three but carries the screen like a seasoned star. He’s dark, manipulative, a total red flag, and he even hurt himself just to make his lover fall for him. Bold, magnetic, and completely sure of what he wants, he’s terrible in the best way, and that makes the show impossible to resist.
Yi Ran Hao as YouShuLang brings the perfect balance. Their chemistry is dangerous, intimate, and impossible to look away from. YouShuLang’s heartbreak hits you like a punch to the chest and stays with you long after the episode ends. The interrogation scene was breathtaking, full of tension, fear, and chaos, and Fan Xiao’s twisted love felt painfully real.
What makes To My Shore unforgettable isn’t just the plot but the way it makes you feel. The direction is sleek, the pacing tight, and every scene pulls you deeper into their twisted connection. Every moment hits like a masterpiece
And finally, can we give a round of applause to all the actors, the production team, the crew, the staff, and the directors. They literally had to fly from China to Thailand to film this just to avoid censorship from the Chinese government.
I’ve been to Thailand twice and I’m going again in a couple of weeks, and let me tell you, Thailand is extremely hot, even during the cool/dry season. These actors were filming in full suits, in a foreign country, without knowing the Thai language, and still delivered such an incredible performance.
Chinese BL in 2025 is not just entertaining. It is setting a new standard. And To My Shore is absolutely one of its crown jewels.
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One of THE BEST BL that is out there ( A MUST WATCH) - EDITED-
Even though there is still one episode left to finish this journey, I think I can write a review that will conclude my thoughts.No matter what ending this series have, I just can't deny that this has been a journey.
Every Friday has been a blessing with this series and I can't be more sad that this is ending.
I never spoil anything about the story or the characters in any of my reviews because I want you to feel and experience them for your self. However, I can easily say that this has one of the best stories that has ever been written for a BL. It's just amazing how you feel the characters and their emotions, at least that's how I felt about it. Wonderful actors and my god, beside their incredible and attractive looks, they delivered the characters emotions, the body language was on point, it was just wonderful to watch it. About the story, all I can say is that there is no necessary drama from the other characters, no love triangles or any of that shit. BUT, there are some scenes that are intense and have some action. The development of the characters was wonderfully and tastefully done. Amazing writing. Loved to see how their emotions developed for each other. It was just amazing.
The music in this one is top notch. That is all I can say for it.
The cinematography is amazing. Probably one of THE BEST BL that has come out of GMMTV, beside few others. It was a pleasure to watch it.
-EDIT-
Now that the series are officially over, my heart is filled with love and mixed emotions. So happy for the ending but so sad that it's over. This series is a PROVE that you don't need necessary drama, stupid plots and dragging the story for too long, you don't need to see them kiss or have sexy scenes to understand that they love and care for each other. This one will definitely be missed every Friday and I hope GMMTV will give us a special episode or a second season( which I highly doubt but I still pray for one). A Tale Of Thousand Stars will hold a special place in my heart, for sure. Loved every second of it.
We got the BEST ROCKIE OF THE YEAR - Mix, and Earth got the HIGHLIGHT OF HIS CAREER.
I totally agree with myself- A PLEASURE TO WATCH!!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Initially the drama was damn good
I was hooked up at 1st ep. The rich ceo run into an accident & met the deliverywoman in way who hospitalozed him. However he faked a memory loss(, bcoz of company politics u will understand when u watch) & hid himself into that woman house. Trust me the moments of them in her neighbourhood & home & their development of liking to each other we will gonna love it. However the story started to lose its essence after ep 14.However even if u dont want to watch the drama full i will suggest u to watch it till ep 11. Trust me u will definitely enjoy it. But yeah after ep 14-15 i myself started found the story draggy & basic. The kiss scenes were good. I liked it.Was this review helpful to you?
The story line is just amazing. From episode 1, I was captivated by the plot, making me sit at the edge of my chair, anticipating of what would happen next. Just when I thought I figured out who is behind it all, something unexpected happened and I was left at a dead end with numerous questions. Even until the very last minute of the final episode I was left awestruck. It took me a few minutes to register what happened and then everything clicked into place. Usually I am pretty good at figuring out who is bad and who is good, but this drama totally made me run around in circles.
The cast was also amazing. I have no words to describe how well everyone played their parts. Lee Bo Young played the mother soo well. The determination she showed to save her child no matter what, it felt real. She is clearly a great actress. And what can I say about Cho Seung Woo, he was just amazing!! The action scenes he did was just top notch!! Seriously can i have him protect me too? haha But in all seriousness, he did a great job!
Of course I need to mention, Kim Yoo Bin, this little 9 year old girl did such a great job. If she can act like this at such a young age, imagine where she will be in 10 years time! Oh and how can I forget Baro (of B1A4). The amount of times he made me awestruck in this drama, the way he played a mentally disabled boy, left me speechless. It is hard to believe that this was only his 2nd drama. I can say with confidence that he is going to be an amazing actor. Cannot wait to see his future works!! (Special mention goes to No Min Woo, though his part was small, every time I saw him on screen i fangirled like mad. He is just too hot x__x)
The rewatch value is also very high. There is not a single boring moment in this drama. Nothing dragged on for too long and in every episode something new came up, which helped to unfold the story and create more mystery. I would definitely watch it again if i have time.
Finally I would say, hats off to the team for creating such an amazing drama. I know many didn't like the ending and others loved it. I for one, think the ending was bittersweet. It was not overly happy, but it was also not tear jerking. Seriously if you haven't watched this drama, then please do, I promise, you will enjoy it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Spoilers!!!!Beautiful story and concept but the ending with how the main couple gets back together was extremely toxic.
I really enjoyed this drama. Loved the storylines and the chemistry between each of the couples was wonderful. The ensemble felt very flowing. The conclusion that love and marriage can look different to everybody and you just have to work that out between partners was amazing.
However, I have a big issue with one of the message about relationships; we learn that Ji Ho knew that Se Hee was going to confess before she decided to end the contract and move out. She tells everyone else that she loves him but wants him to open up his most vulnerable self to her. But, she doesn't tell him that. Instead, she lies about why she's leaving. She could have said, "I want to end the contract because I'm having feelings. Can we talk about that and whether you are, too, and whether we want to be a real couple?" Instead, she tortures him. Knowing that he's in love with her, she leads him to believe she is traveling far away and has ended everything. Also knowing that a lot of his pain is from having been abandoned by someone he loved before. He's literally in a bad emotional state and I'd argue in a state of actual depression. Meanwhile, she's having fun in Seoul at the hostel and with her friends. Laughing it up at the sauna, etc.
When they are reunited, she doesn't wake him up to talk. She talks to him while he's half asleep, thinking he's dreaming. When he wakes up, she acts as if its completely normal that she's there doing laundry and making breakfast. He's rightfully angry. She smiles. He's rightfully angry that she's smiling. But, somehow, she gets to apologize with a smile on her face and be happy that he's angry and its all okay?
If someone had done this to me, I'd be over them. It was manipulative and cruel. It was TOXIC. I'd never trust her again. Here was this man who, despite his wounds, was always considerate and kind. He was definitely overly-cautious. But, he was so respectful of boundaries. He was protective. In his shocked state, after seeing his ex, he still thought to make her some tea. You don't always need words to know that someone loves you. Those actions are far more telling. If you fell in love with this person, why are trying to make him be different? And, if you need something from him, why don't you just say so instead of this cruel, underhanded behavior?
I really loved the chemistry between them up until this point. I never understood why she took the route she did. I agreed with her mother, "you're talking crap." She's wrapping up her destructive behavior in the romanticized metaphor of a story about a woman who ended up committing suicide. What the heck?
Why does everyone find what she did romantic? I ended up not liking her and worried about what else she might do in the future if things weren't going her way. She's actually a little twisted. It bothers me that no one is critical of this. That this is seen as something to aspire to. Don't treat people the way she did.
This is a shame. Crappy plot devices meant to drag the show's run time is what honestly ruined a top 5 drama for me. It was a complete disrespect for everything the drama stood for, especially in terms of characters and breaking cliches. But most importantly, it was a disrespect of the values this show held of how to make a strong relationship: Honesty and communication. This show spoke a lot about those concepts and the ending of it completely takes a hard dump on all of that. If your plot device/cliche could be cleared up by one sentence, you've already lost.
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Story
Without being particularly original or unique, defendant feels completely one of a kind. Part a legal-crime thriller part melodrama, Defendant is solely a two-man show. On the one hand, it centers on a prosecutor –the hero- who finds himself in prison, is accused of murdering his wife and child and dealing with memory lose on top of everything else. On the other hand, it focuses on a wicked man –the villain- who tries desperately to get away with his crimes. The drama develops partly as a mystery and later as an endless manhunt between the two as the one tries to destroy the other.
First half of the drama takes places in prison. I sincerely appreciated the fact that the drama did not spend time with court and other boring legal procedures but rather looked everything from a different personal-dramatic view of the hero delving deep into his troubled thoughts regarding his indictment. The memory loss plot is just a device to drive the story nothing more, so don’t worry about things dragging out a lot. The amnesia plot was handled in a very refreshing way in my opinion.
Second half of the drama is way more engaging, more dramatic, more lively filled with tension, angst and twists. The acting is luscious and you will never get bored of seeing the turning tables and schemes between the 2 lead characters. The drama is melodramatic without being mawkish, but there are also comic scenes and characters to relieve the tension and they succeeded without ridiculing it. There are quite a few characters implicated in all this making the drama that much more thrilling and mysterious.
While the drama really left a very strong impression that could translate into a perfect 10, specific reasons restrict me from it. Firstly the conveniently written base story. Frankly, there is no drama that is not at least partly convenient, that is how they work, and then the drama is just so good you’ll barely mind the convenience here and there.
Moreover, the main drawback I could address is the slow development of the plot especially in the first half of the drama. I remember me thinking that the drama offered its first real plot development, since the first 2 episodes, in episodes 7 and 8. After that the story really picks up pace. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed every episode. Even in episodes in which nothing much happened, the drama managed to be fascinating, bewitching and easy to watch.
Finally, although more of a nagging stretch from my part, i felt that the drama somehow mistreated its flawless ensemble cast by focusing too much on the 2 leads. It's not that the characters felt unreal, it is exactly that they were so well written that they deserved some kind of story of their own, namely Kwon Yuri's character. All that being said this focus on the main leads just gave Ji Sung more time to be flawless on my screen i shouldn't nag! I hereby reassure you none of these minor shortcomings were enough to reduce, even by little, the awesomeness of this drama!
Acting
Despite the great and thrilling plot, best part of the drama for me was the acting. The cast is actually quite large, with almost every character having a significant role to play. I cannot argue that the acting was an overall 10, but as I mentioned already this is a two-man show and these 2 men simply outdid themselves!
I can safely say we all agree that Kill Me Heal Me was Ji Sung’s best work; he demonstrated perfectly his unrealistically good acting skills. Ladies and Gents, I present you, the drama in which Ji Sung managed to outdo himself(!). His acting as a tainted inmate fighting with himself over his charges trying to solve the puzzle was magnificent and astounding. I doubt there is another male actor who can break down crying, act like a lunatic like that and come off as firm but also desperate and emotional as Ji Sung did. He sent chills down my spine, goosebumps. Either acting as a disoriented inmate or a strong and driven prosecutor or an aching father and husband he was immaculate. He knows exactly how much soul and emotion to pour into his performance in every scene. Excquisite! I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again best actor in dramaland.
The duo is formed with Uhm Ki Joon. I’ve seen him before but never like this. He portrays the antagonist but somehow he had such great syngery with Ji Sung, something I’ve never seen before. His portrayal of twin siblings was firstly impeccable; secondly his performance of a despicable criminal was spotless and shivering. A corrupted unstable person who still felt human and somehow mistreated and misunderstood. Undoubtedly, i never saw me having these feelings about such a villain. Heavenly acting by Uhm Ki Joon! A character you’ll love to hate. The two men managed to really make the drama shine 10x brighter than it would have on its own and they complemented each other completely.
The ensemble cast had a few really good actors. Yuri generally gets a lot of shit for her acting, she is considered the female lead, but considering the significance of her character she barely appeared. She served a purpose, and imo she held her own next to acting beasts despite being rather forgettable. I especially liked Uhm Hyeon Kyeong, not a big role, but also a significant and poetic one.
Oh Chang Seok and Kang Sung Min played similar characters that developed in the exactly opposite way, amazing writing here, they were great. All the cellmates were immaculate and adorable too, the drama generally featured some of the best and more likeable side characters I’ve ever seen.
Lastly, my personal favourites, Kim Min Suk who was sentimental and touching, loved him and my endless love and appreciation for Shin Rin Ah, the ridiculously talented young girl who never cease to amaze.
Even if the acting wasn’t perfect overall, it deserves a 10 for the perfect casting and synergy.
Recommend/Rewatch.
Despite your preferred drama genre, defendant is a drama that cannot be easily put to words, it should be watched. Therefore, I recommend it to everyone. It is emotional, exciting, thrilling, mysterious and intriguing. It does not have romance but believe me you won’t even care! I can see myself rewatching it in the future.
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I started this because of Jung Il Woo. I've seen him for the first time in High End Crush (go watch that!) and fell in love with his natural acting and expressions so I can say I had no expectations about the show to be frustrated.
It was beautifully executed (apart from the slow motion scenes that had me rolling my eyes all the time) and everything that makes this overdramatic (imo) are the headcanons of the Cinderella concept - evil step-mother and step-sister, absent father, diseased mother and a helpless little princess... wait. Helpless? Not so much and that's what I love about Eun Ha Won. Despite of her heart being too good for her own good, she's positive instead of victimizing herself, she goes get it, she stands up for herself and doesn't get oversensitive over things. She hangs it in there alright.
As for the male leads, Seo Woo was kinda cute (never seen an idol with that much free time! lol), Hyun Min is adorable (typical spoiled and arrogant brat we love to not hate) and Ji Woon... ah... now that it's over I kinda wish I had him to myself. At first he really annoyed me but as soon as he started smiling I was sold. Guess that has Il Woo's to blame, though. But honestly, his character is kind, protective, righteous and also stands up for himself and though he has a strong sense of pride, he didn't let it get in the way of his relationship with Ha Won (like it usually goes).
The side characters are appealing too... all but Hye Ji. (And that annoying fangirl but I really can't stand Cho Hye Jung's face so I think that's completely biased, ignore that). Perhaps she would be appealing too if Naeun COULD act at all but she's worse than a paper doll. Very much like Korea's very own Kristen Stewart right there, lol. I'm beyond pissed because she seemed to be doing alright in Twenty Again but in this show... is she perhaps Jaehyun's fangirl? That's why she got so affected? I could understand that...
Jokes aside, I kept telling my cousin how Cinderella and The Four Knights was a guilty pleasure of mine. Not so guilty anymore now. The ending was spot on, it wasn't intense as the others use to be and everything got solved and worked on. I felt completely fulfilled by it. Then again, the show starts out great, I was hooked from the very first episode but it takes a displeasing U turn on the second half that had me postponing it for a bit but the ending completely made up for it so much I had to come here and write a review.
This show isn't anything exceptional, not at all. But people tend to compare shows is different categories and that's unacceptable! If I was to give it a grade based on everything I've watched so far it would get... what?... a 5, perhaps a 6. But that wouldn't be fair at all - or right, for that matter. Cinderella and The Four Knights is a ROM-COM and AS SUCH it did such a WONDERFUL job. It's funny, good paced, has some elements you wish weren't there (but that's a given) and the chemistry between the leads is A M A Z I N G to say the least. I was in love with their chemistry because... I don't know if it's Il Woo's fault again but he generally seems very relaxed in scene. And they look really playful together, it's almost as if I'm seeing through it, as if he's just being spontaneous and surprising So Dam with things his character wasn't supposed to do. It's like I can see them having fun BTS, you know? And that... I really love that because.... even if it's unprofessional, it makes everything look natural and convincing.
And their kiss scenes... ooooooh boy. I don't know about the previous ones (except the drunk smooches that were the cutest I've ever witnessed *-*) but those on the couple last episodes are BREATHTAKING! I was squealing like a fangirl wishing I was So Dam bc damn, lol. Love the attitude and the natural look they have unlike any other kiss in every drama I've watched so far - all of them. *sighs* I wish I could kiss Il Woo too. hahahahaha I'm so sorry, don't mind me. x_x
Anywayz... I would SO recommend this drama if you're into rom-coms. Nothing new for sure neither did it intend to be (I'm guessing that from the title lol), but totally worth watching. ^-^
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This review may contain spoilers
Don't watch if you suffer certain PTSD, rape etc
"THE EFFECT"I cried severally in the space of 3 episodes, I think that says a lot of this series. When I started watching I would have never expected such depth from it but then they will wowed me with the way they handled everything. The most important thing portrayed is that there is a consequence for every action, essentially THE EFFECT of each action.
Keng’s parents expecting him to be protect their reputation which was why he only accepted himself being gay late, his bit of denial and ultimately insulting man led to Man’s jealousy (although man’s jealousy was absolutely stupid, you are not entitled to someone liking you, they say they don’t like you, the move on). Man’s jealousy led to him posting about Shin and Keng, people ignorantly talking and posting more on the Shin and Keng issue, which led to Shin to spiral and pull away from Keng, which led to Keng to spiral and do the most abominable thing to Shin, which just had the worse effects afterwards.
This series touches on so many things which I would address when I am talk about in the story aspect for me but I think the most important thing I got out of this are some basic questions we never ask ourselves because we think it can never be our reality, but this showed everything can be turned upside down in the matter of seconds. How would we react if the world turned against us? When everything you know to be true is destroyed to its very core, how do we build back up? But mostly importantly, blaming ourselves for what happens to people especially with low self-esteem.
STORY
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I wish I could give the story more than a 10, but 10 is the highest I can give it on a scale of 10.
The show held absolutely nothing back and the topics it touched are the ones we all wish to brush under the cap, but they took it head on and handled it so beautifully as well.
1. Rape (especially the fact that people who perpetrate rape are never too far from home), and calling Rape, rape. Not the gate way to love or whatever
2. Bullying on social media (especially with the cancel culture tendencies of our generation) and the way people just move on from it as though they have not ruined several people’s lives with their words)
3. Depression and Suicide, which is becoming more and more of a reality amongst LGBT youth. But most especially the pain that we need to stop when we attempt suicide and I speak from past experience of when I attempted suicide, when you want everything to stop.
4. Mental Health, I separated mental health from suicide because I feel this is an entire discussion after the fact of shin, that is the ending itself.
Minor themes touched on briefly.
1. Society actual reaction to the LGBT community, where people could still lose everything for coming out
2. Parents that care more about reputation than the actual happiness of their child (which is probably what led to the increase in depression in our generation probably)
3. The show also was a little forward on HIV
Now you might think that rape is touched on by other BL series but one thing that this had that the others was that they did not try to sugarcoat it, they showed depth to rape victims other than falling deeper in love with the rapists, they displayed the agony and PTSD that comes with rape. They were very raw with it and I loved that about their series. I felt Shin’s pain when he was raped, I felt his pain afterwards on not seeing any light in the world, I felt his pain when he took the money because he wanted it to end and I felt his pain at the point of the suicide because yes, he was tired of all the pain. This right here is the proper way to portray rape, not the disgusting attitude I have seen from Thai media, where Rape is treated like love, I understand that Keng was in love with Shin and that made it all the more painful but I am happy they did not shy away from calling out the disgusting thing that is called rape and making Shin mystically forgive him and just move on. I absolutely loved it.
It is traumatizing when a person is subjected to rape, let alone to relive it when you are opening it up to another person. That is why victims of rape tend not to tell anyone or report it to the authorities.
Social Media in our day and age has become such a power tool that has been misused and this show went to show that, social media is a tool of good but also of absolute harm when intended. Whether intentionally or unintentionally you could make someone’s life absolute hell with the “innocent” words that you post online. Another thing I took away from this, SOCIAL MEDIA doesn’t always tell the whole story but only what is decided to be shown (CHECK UP THE TAYLOR SWIFT AND KANYE WEST STORY OF RECENT OR THE JAMES CHARLES AND TATI WESTBROOK story), when all you are using is a picture to jump to conclusions, then it is to the detriment of someone else. The Taylor Swift and Kanye West story goes to show that even a video can be used to mislead people and bullet holes can’t be fixed by band aids, the damage done by social media is a lot of the times irreversible. Basically guys, please learn to be more careful about what you say or share across social media please. Social media is powerful and when manipulated, an example what Tati Westbrook did to James Charles, it does not matter your intentions, the damage you have done to a person is done. This reminds us to be more responsible in what we do and say on social media because we might not know, someone is hurting and dying inside.
The suicide and depression story hit closer to home for me than I expected to, as someone who has attempted suicide and been depressed, I can understand Shin. Sometimes we think doing some things will ease the pain from us, all we want is for that pain to end (I am not saying it is this way for every single person that attempts or commits suicide but a lot of us feel this), sometimes we just need everything to stop and suicide is the best way to escape it. (Side note for someone like me I found that engaging in nonstop work is a little helpful, it does not stop the anguish and all, but it is a good distraction). Honestly, I tell people not to judge people whom have attempted or committed suicide, you don’t know what it means to be on that edge and the feeling of hopeless that comes with it, it is a battle people fight every day and I love that it was captured in this honestly. But people should understand it is not necessarily the rape that leads to death but the agony, depression and sometimes PTSD that comes with it.
Episode 1: This was the basic average love story, crushing on that person from afar, meeting them, developing more feelings for the person until we arrive at the love stage. But this episode just went on to prove the narrative of after the calm comes the storm because honestly, I do not think people were ready for episodes 2 and 3.
Episode 2 where majority of the events that shaped the narrative happened. This episode was honestly quite painful to watch especially the last 20 minutes, I took several breaks to watch it. But the most important thing that I want people to note is that fact that the major events of the episode were a slow build up and didn’t all happen at once, one thing led to another, another lead to another until we had the rape. If you are someone who has some form of PTSD, especially from rape or anything of the sorts, please watch this episode with a trusted friend or something
Episode 3: This was the climax, like things went deeper and darker. I tell you, you definitely are not ready for episode 3, even if you believe you are, you are not. I don’t think I can write on this episode properly, it was just so much like I am still trying to wrap my head around the episode, I mean I am still crying at this very moment about episode 3, so that should tell you a whole lot about what to expect from episode 3. The ending was so perfect but yet so painful at the same time, because when you thought of all that could have been when they said “only if I had explained better” and “only if I had listened better”, then the sharp ending after that , I was honestly not prepared for this, that is all I have to say.
On the implied issue of "mental health", one can say that the both leads suffered a mental condition in one way or the other. As one expressed this condition outwards by inflicting harm to others, while the other is to himself. And without the right intervention, it clearly shows the very ugly side of it.
This show struck a chord because as someone who has battled mental health issues (bipolar disorder), which includes massive depression and suicidal tendencies, it felt almost like my story was told at some points. And I have friends who have been raped, so I was quite emotional about that too.
CORE FEELINGS
1. Fear
2. Anger
3. Shame
4. Sadness
5. Guilt
6. Pain/Hurt
7. Safe
8. Happiness
9. Love
10. Pride
11. Willing
12. Hopeful
13. Peaceful
You can see it the feelings that you can consider bad, affect someone negatively, destructive. On the other hand, you can identify the feeling that can build someone up. What if you are feeling more of the negative ones that the positive ones are seemingly drowned? Can you still live? When fear, anger, sadness, guilt, pain, pride, coupled with the lose of being safe, love, hope intensifies all at the same time, surely one will be broken down beyond repair.
ACTING
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I first of all have to start by saying all the actors were phenomenal, because a lot of the times I prefer reading novels because of the descriptive nature of the emotions contained or that they wish to portray but I must say that these actors really sold me on their acting, off course there were parts that could have been better but I am still going to giving them a 10 on the acting. I mean they were simply beautfiul
Yangyi as Shin’s Mother, now she did not have a lot of speaking parts but honestly, she went a long way in selling the story, I genuinely felt her felicitating with her son’s pain at so many parts as many mothers would do. Her watchful eyeful over him sold the darker stories more.
Yacht and Top as Bright and Pramote, alright, compared to the rest of the cast, Bright and Pramote didn’t convey the anguish and pain emotions as well, I mean asides when Bright was punching Keng, I definitely felt those. But I did like one part where they told him friends are there for each other in episode 3, I actually believed them in that moment, and I felt a little warm.
Oat as Keng, honestly his looks helped to sell his part more I wouldn’t lie, he looks so innocent and charming and like he could never do what he did to Shin, which goes to tell you, people are not always what they appear to be like in reality. He really sold me on the lost and regret parts after the rape I almost felt sorry for him but nah, rape is rape and is not to be condoned ever. He had a little torn between feeling sorry for him and hating him.
James as Shin was everything I wouldn’t lie, like I said, I went through every single emotion with him, like I believe this story more because of him, the shift from his innocent self to the depressed and want to die person. He made me cry which speaks volumes about his acting skills as an actor, people can have such roles and absolutely fail at executing the acting well but James delivered so much.
MUSIC
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I loved one particular song from the series, they used different parts of it and I was quite surprised to find out it was all one song. Honestly I love that song, I am currently listening to it on repeat as we speak, asides that, they tried with some piano parts of the music
REWATCH VALUE
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This is so traumatic it is almost unwatchable for a second. I definitely would watch this again but honestly after a while because I do not think that I have it in me to watch this anytime soon. Like I love it, but it is so intense, I do not think I have it in me to watch it again just yet.
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This review may contain spoilers
the plot was a mystery, even to the writer/director/editor
Overall: The chemistry and production was really good but it was ruined by the nonsense plot and confusing editing. Hope to see these actors again in something else. Aired on iQIYI.Content Warnings: murders, violence/fight, blood, non con kiss, kidnapping, stalking, manipulation
What I Liked
- the gritty/darker tone (though it did fall back on the silly comedy parts a few times, none of which I found funny)
- opening credits with appropriate heavy metal music instead of a pop song/ballad (Underneath The Surface by Tiger Gang)
- intro scene grabbed my attention
- a clear time jump
- chemistry between Lue and Ken
- that treehouse
- production value (especially the color grading)
Room For Improvement
- it was just too confusing and it's sad because they could have made it make sense (i.e. adding a location text in the first episode so we knew they weren't in Thailand, adding in when there are time jumps/location jumps how many days/weeks later it is, not having 2 different guys wearing the exact same outfit (all black), telling the story in a linear fashion instead of constant flashbacks)
- total nonsense things (how did no one ask about the gloves, why was he wearing turtlenecks in very hot Thailand, why didn't any airbags go off in that car crash, why was everyone knocked unconscious, why did Ken have zero sense of self preservation, how was Ken strangled and crying in practically every episode including his dream, why run after a bad guy when your friend might be dying, why is there a bath tub in the middle of a warehouse, why did they botch a very important casting so the plot makes zero sense, why can't anyone shoot in the final episode etc)
- continuity errors (Lue was missing a scar that he should have had, characters are injured and then suddenly not injured, etc)
- stupid characters (Din could have just pretended when he found out about that stuff and then reported it later, Ken makes the stupidest decisions considering what he's been through, Lue's "plan" made zero sense why couldn't the police have someone go undercover to get evidence, why couldn't Lue tell Ken????)
- bad editing/jumpy, scenes suddenly jumped or picked up elsewhere
- I had zero interest in the side couple, if my significant other did that to me during a business meeting then that might be the end of our relationship
- cartoonish villains (and it isn't human trafficking or drug smuggling??? in the final episode we learn more stuff why wasn't this shown before)
- why did a character suddenly have visions?
- please never kiss through a shower curtain again, also don't wear double underwear
- that open ending was bad, wasn't Lue acting in self defense and working with police why would he be on the run???
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STORY (No spoilers)
As a stand-alone movie, the way the story was told was choppy and incoherent - there was often little connection from one scene to the next, and from one character's actions to the next - so the viewer is often left confused and disoriented with what is happening and why the characters are behaving the way they do. Therefore, in terms of story-telling, this movie falls down pretty hard. For those who don't know the story behind the movie beforehand, the film would come across not making much sense, which, I can imagine, would be a pretty disturbing and disappointing watch.
Those who do know the story beforehand are generally able to fill in the blanks and insert all the backstory in between scenes but even speaking as someone who knew the backstory beforehand, I still found myself trying to figure out what was happening on screen and where the scene fitted in within the whole. It was terrible because your mind is having to adjust and place the characters and circumstances in the right place as each scene flashed by so you're always playing catch-up and whatever emotional connection you had with the characters ends up getting lost. You're no longer feeling the story or the characters any longer, you're playing catch up to what's going on.
It is worth noting that as the movie attempts to condense and reduce a very lengthy story into a 2-hour telling, the production team naturally had to make some changes to some characters and events which will inevitably differ from the original source material. While this is entirely understandable, it can also hamper the watch experience because in addition to the 'playing catch-up' process, the viewer is then also having to make sense of the changes within the movie-context in itself.
I personally found some changed plot-lines and new scenes baffling and bizarre, and to this day, still have no real idea why certain things happened, or what the director was trying to tell. A good example was the way the movie ended - haphazard, chaotic, baffling and bizarre.
In terms of pacing, the film was rather inconsistent. Some scenes were given plenty of space and air-time while other scenes flashed by so quickly that just before the viewer had time to absorb who was on screen and what was happening (especially for those having to read subtitles), it has ended and you're confronted with a completely different and new scene and your mind is having to adjust from the whiplash.
It made for a very scattered and disconnected viewing experience and I can't help but think that if the director or editor had spent less time dwelling on certain scenes (e,g, the long pan and introduction into Qing Qiu being one of them), there might have been more time to allow other scenes to breathe better.
I also found myself wondering why the director chose to use or dwell on certain scenes which do not really add value in advancing an already fast-moving plot e.g. there was an extended sequence of Ye Hua cooking for Bai Qian (let's not even go into how that scene was depicted). Precious minutes spent on a cooking class when there is still so much ground to cover.
ACTING/CAST
The choppy incoherent story-telling and inconsistent patchy pacing issues probably did not help (maybe even compounded to) the perception of underwhelming acting from the cast. Characters were not given enough time to establish their roles and personalities what more for them to show us their evolution throughout the movie. As a result, it made it difficult for the viewer to understand their motives and their actions as the movie progressed. With the lost emotional connection, it is easy to pan the actors/ actresses for bad portrayals of their characters. Perhaps some of it can be put down to lacklustre acting ability, but I do also believe that another part of it was down to poor scripting of the characters, and to poor directing and editing of the movie.
Yang Yang and Crystal Liu were suitable for their roles - looks-wise.
I thought Crystal was serviceable as Bai Qian but some key scenes which required her to exercise her haughty authority as the Queen of Qing Qiu did not have as much impact as I would have hoped for.
Yang Yang portrayed a rather different Ye Hua from the original source material in terms of personality and attitude. Some viewers might enjoy this fresh take on Ye Hua's character, while others like myself might have found it off-putting and borderline disturbing.
The rest of the supporting cast had too little airtime to really provide them with proper personalities therefore a lot of them came across as one-dimensional, one-note characters with a very set purpose to fulfil in advancing the plot along. They were there to do this, or do that, or say this, or say that, and their job was essentially done.
MUSIC
As I was too focused on trying to follow the plot and the happenings on-screen, I had very little time to appreciate the music score, except during that long pan of Qing Qiu.
RE-WATCH VALUE
Unfortunately, all things considered, I have to say that it was an unpleasant watch for me. There was very little I enjoyed or liked about this movie, therefore a re-watch is not even a consideration.
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By the end of the show, I was so sick of the repetitive emotional onslaughts I had to endure with my frail heart. With the noble idiot trope being repeated almost every episode, I was going to take a leaf from the battered protagonists and cough up blood myself. Unfortunately only Yang Zi and Allen Ren could pull off this stunt every episode and still look so damn good that you want to keep watching them ruin each other only to reunite in sweet, tender moments then repeat the abuse again.
After nursing my heartbreak at the end of 60 episodes, I look back on the experience with sudden realisation - WTF was I thinking? WTF was everyone thinking? There were too many plot holes, illogical decisions, haphazard pacing with no real climax and a lame antagonist that wasn't even a real threat since he was reduced to being a deranged lovesick puppy. In fact, all the antagonists were so useless they only served as props to set the stage for our OTP's wretched relationship. Even the side characters' storylines were equally afflicted.
What an epic waste! All the top stars, beautiful costumes, ethereal cinematography couldn't save our OTPs from their anguish. And I grieved alongside this state of absolute despair. If the intention of the show was to bring sorrow to all viewers, it definitely succeeded.
But why, oh why? After all that stupidity, I couldn't decide if all my suffering in my viewing was worth it, just like how the show couldn't decide if it wanted the characters' sacrifices to be worth it. The end was totally confusing and ambiguous. By then, I had no idea what was going on anymore...the journey seemed so meaningless. I could only feel relief all that ordeal was over so I could snap. out. of. it.
Well, at least there was good music and I could watch the beautiful OTPs enact all that glory cum misery. Watch only if you are a sadomasochist.
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An entertaining drama for someone who is unfamiliar with the story
First I want to say I'm coming to this drama without prior knowledge of the donhua or novel. So I am coming to this drama with a fresh pair of eyes and no preconceived ideas what the story should be like.I actually very much enjoyed the drama. I was a little worried at first because there was so much complaints from those who have read the source material complaining it wasn't true to the source and I found the first episode was all over the place. I admit almost dropped it after ep1, but by ep 5/6 I was thoroughly enjoying it. So my advice to give it a few eps before making a judgement.
In terms of the story line, it is very much about Tang San's journey to "level up" and the friendships he makes on the way. I found the pacing was good, the acting decent, and good enough character development that I truly cared about each of the main characters. The dynamic of the shrek seven and their head masters had some serious comedic moments that had me laughing out loud. And for all my worries about the ending knowing there was a second season I have to say I was satisfied with how it ended. I found it was a rather natural conclusion (like the end of a chapter) as opposed to something that felt rushed or like the writers didn't sloppily put together, nothing too jarring.
My only real complaint is I didn't really like the audio. Oftentimes there was a lot of unnecessary background noise, or suddenly the actors voices /volume would change. For those Xiao Zhan fans expecting him to sound like his character in the untamed, get ready for a shock! His voice is much deeper here, and it took a little getting used to, but he did do his own dubbing in this drama so that's commendable. And his voice's tone and timber gets way more natural by the midway point (again I blame this more on the sound director).
Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable drama, I hope it gets the greenlight for that season two and they can invite the original actors back. I am looking forward to seeing more of TS and his journey.
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The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Counter Punch
109 people found this review helpful
Disappointing! Feels drastically different from S1
I am really disappointed. I watched Season 1 shortly before Season 2 came out and was super excited. The Teasers looked promising and the cast looked fantastic in their new styles. Especially So Mun with the longer curly/wavy hair. Cho Byeong Kyu can shape-shift with his different hairstyles. But styling and looks is not enough to create a great follow-up season.Where this season went wrong:
- The comedy is over the top and not my taste. Especially because it wasn't like this in S1
- The dynamic between the characters feels different as well. Less serious.
- The tone of this season is generally different from season1 and not in a good way. S1 was more personal and serious
- The Plot was running in circles. So much that it was getting draggy and boring.
- They wasted Yoo In Soo. His character was really annoying. I thought it would get better after ep 3&4 but it did not
- I don't know why, but it just felt hollow
If you do a second season with a different tone etc. ... do it at least good. Not like this.
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1st half: So realistic, it makes you queasy — 2nd half: so clichéd, it makes you yawn (loudly)
This series is definitely for a more mature audience, now I get the 19+ rating. It's not your typical fluffy rom-com with a lighthearted tone, sweet more caricatural than real characters and heart fluttering moments.Well, this series does make your heart flutter, but for other reasons, namely, a) the sexual tension between the leads and b) the anxiety and unease that comes along with it. It initially is a realistic depiction of what dating nowadays looks like, of trust issues, fear of commitment, the struggle to really open up and the stress when you can't read your crushes' mind and intentions. When to call yourselves exclusive? Is there even such a thing? Nowadays, is there really the option of falling in love and staying in a monogamous relationship when there might always be 'a better option' out there? You might be one swipe away from an exciting rendezvous, the acknowledgement you lack from your partner, the distraction and escape you need (from yourself). The earlier episodes of the show really makes you ponder on all these things.
Also, you can really see that women are working on this show as they've captured the essence of what concerns and bothers women (in their twenties) so well. Be it the excitement, obsession and fear of rejection when having a huge crush on someone, the dejection when you try hard at university or work and are still left-behind, the urge to fit in and still feel disconnected with everyone. Really well-done.
The cinematography, pace, dialogues and background score also enhance the emotions and mood to a great extent.
As for the romance, the main theme of the plot, I think a lot of people might actually drop this series, because the story seems so relatable and doomed to be painful, too relatable even, for those who have experienced something similar and just can't cope with it anymore. And even if you might not agree with all of the female lead's actions and at times find her annoying and irritatingly irrational, she is still absolutely relatable, as you can literally grasp the train of thoughts that leads to these actions and decisions of hers. I further believe we've all either been in such a situation, were tempted enough or 'have this one friend' to/who despite seeing the red flags can't help overlooking them, knowing this might eventually crush us/them. Cudos to the cast for making our anxieties come alive.
Sadly, the earlier episode are by far better than the latter ones. At some point the story starts to feel repetitive and drained; there is no real progress and the authenticity and originality up until then slowly but gradually devolves into a clichéd run-on-the-mill romance, —outdated even — in which the heroine is (seemingly) stuck b/w two boys; although her final choice is blatantly obvious. Curious if there'll be an unexpected turn in the end. Also, there were some personal issues with an actor, wherefore his screen time was reduced drastically; reasonable, but unfortunately it took a toll on the quality of the drama.
All in all, this show had great potential — until the makers felt obliged to follow the 101 k-drama formula. Watchable only for the chemistry of the leads and the side stories, even though the ending is unfit imo and Song Kang's lack of emotions (blame the character) even make his pretty face boring.
And I urge you all to listen to the soundtrack, even if you don't want to watch the show: so fresh and SO good!
*EDIT*
If you've already seen the show (or do not plan on watching it) and would like to know why I felt the ending wasn't really fitting, see the comment section below this review. It's marked as a spoiler.
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